The methods included in Environmental Microbiology: Methods and Pro- cols can be placed in the categories "Communities and Biofilms," "Fermented Milks," "Recovery and Determination of Nucleic Acids," and the review s- tion, containing chapters on the endophytic bacterium, Bacillus mojavensis, the engineering of bacteria to enhance their ability to carry out bioremediation of aromatic compounds, using the hemoglobin gene from a strain of Vitreoscilla 23 spp., and the use of chemical shift reagents and Na NMR to study sodium gradients in microorganisms, all of which should be of interest to investigators in these fields. The subjects treated within the different categories also cover a wide range, with methods ranging from those for the study of marine organisms, through those for the investigation of microorganisms occurring in ground waters, including subsurface ground waters, to other types of environmental waters, to as varied subjects as the biodiversity of yeasts found in northwest Argentina. The range of topics described in the Fermented Milks section is smaller, but significant for investigators in areas concerned with milk as an item of foods for infants, small children, and even adults.

Part I. Communities and Biofilms Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Seawater Bacteria Juliana M. Benito, Gustavo A. Lovrich, Faustino Sineriz, and Carlos M. Abate Reverse Sample Genome Probing to Monitor Microbial Communities E. Anne Greene and Gerrit Voordouw T-RFLP Analysis: A Rapid Fingerprinting Method for Studying Diversity, Structure, and Dynamics of Microbial Communities Werner Liesack and Peter F. Dunfield Assessing Bacterial DNA Content in Aquatic Systems Garrett W. Perney, Betsy R. Robertson, and D. K. Button Multiplexed Identification and Quantification of Analyte DNAs in Environmental Samples Using Microspheres and Flow Cytometry Mary Lowe, Alex Spiro, Anne O. Summers, and Joy Wireman Molecular Characterization of Microbial Communities From Marine Environments Nicolas G. Barengo, Juliana M. Benito, and Carlos M. Abate Yeasts: Ecology in Northwest Argentina Lucia I. C. de Figueroa, M. Alejandra Martinez, and John F. T. Spencer Aeromonads in Environmental Waters Anavella Gaitan Herrera Development of a Vital Fluorescent Staining Method for Monitoring Bacterial Transport in Subsurface Ground Water Mark E. Fuller Bench Scale Flow Cell for Nondestructive Imaging of Biofilms Eric S. Gilbert and Jay D. Keasling Part II. Fermented Milks a-Galactosidase Assay in Fermented Soymilk Products Marisa S. Garro, Graciela Font de Valdez, and Graciela Savoy de Giori Considerations to Avoid the Overestimation of Exopolysaccharides Produced by Lactic Acid Bacteria Maria Ines Torino and Graciela Font de Valdez Determination of Oligosaccharides in Fermented Soymilk Products by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Marisa S. Garro, Graciela Font de Valdez, and Graciela Savoy de Giori Evaluation of Minimal Nutritional Requirements ofLactic Acid Bacteria Used in Functional Foods Elvira M. Hebert, Raul R. Raya, and Graciela Savoy de Giori Part III. Nucleic Acids, Recovery, and Determination A Simple Method for Obtaining DNA Suitable for RAPD Analysis From Azospirillum Raul O. Pedraza and Juan C. Diaz Ricci PCR Fingerprinting of rRNA Intergenic Spacer Regions for Molecular Characterization of Environmental Bacteria Isolates M. Alejandra Martinez and Faustino Sineriz A DNA-DNA Hybridization Method for the Detection and Quantification of Specific Bacterial Taxa in Natural Environments Christopher E. Bagwell and Charles R. Lovell 13C and 1H NMR Study of the Glycogen Futile Cycle in Fibrobacter succinogenes Anne-Marie Delort, Genevieve Gaudet, and Evelyne Forano Chemical Analysis and Biological Removal of Wood Lipids Forming Pitch Deposits in Paper Pulp Manufacturing Ana Gutierrez, Jose C. del Rio, and Angel T. Martinez Propolis: Chemical Micro-Heterogeneity and Bioactivity Jose Domingos Fontana, Juliana Adelmann, Mauricio Passos, Marcelo Maraschin, Cristina A. de Lacerda, and Fernando Mauro Lancas Enzymatic Saccharification of Cellulosic Materials Luiz Pereira Ramos and Jose Domingos Fontana Molecular Identification of Microbial Populations in Petroleum-Contaminated Groundwater Kazuya Watanabe, Natsuko Hamamura, and Nobuo Kaku Identification of Copper-Resistant Microorganisms by PCR Virginia H. Albarracin, Juliana M. Benito, Manuel Sineriz Louis, Maria J. Amoroso, and Carlos M. Abate Selection of Tolerant Heavy Metal Yeasts From Different Polluted Sites Liliana Villegas, Maria J. Amoroso, and Lucia I. C. de Figueroa Medium for Differential Enumeration of Lactobacillus casei and Lactobacillus acidophilus From Lyophilized Mixed Cultures Monica M. Locascio, Rosalia Alesso, Vilma I. Morata, and